The need frequently arises to locate a lost or stolen item. One technique designed to assist with the location of a lost or stolen item is radio direction finding. In most radio direction finding applications, a signal or tone emitting component is attached to an item. Once the component becomes lost or stolen, the component is activated and begins emitting a tone or signal. Typically, multiple detectors located in respective vehicles search for the tone or signal emitted from the component. Commonly, each of the receiving detectors, within reception range of the tone or signal, measures the signal strength and roughly estimates the distance or range of the signal emitting component from the detector. Additionally, each of the multiple detectors roughly determines the direction or bearing from which the signal or tone emanates. The operators of the detector-equipped vehicles frequently communicate with each other to compare range and bearing information and thereby attempt to pinpoint the location of the missing item. In some instances, a display terminal is used to visually represent the range and bearing of the item with respect to the detector. Thus, prior art location techniques such as radio direction finding require multiple detectors; require considerable communication between operators of each of the detectors; and require extensive operator training for the system to be employed. Additionally, due partly to the substantial interaction required between multiple operators, such prior art techniques do not always expediently provide an estimated location of the missing item.
In one type of deployment, tone or signal emitting components are installed on automobiles. Detectors are then installed on numerous police squad cars. Due to the high cost of equipping multiple police squad cars with such detector systems, substantial up front expense is accrued when using such prior art locating systems. Prior art locating system also require that police officers receive extensive instruction regarding the use of the detectors. Therefore, in addition to substantial initial equipment costs, numerous "person-hours" are required to educate police officers, and numerous "police-hours" are spent being educated in the use of the system. After installation and education requirements are met, should a component equipped automobile become lost or stolen, police officers in multiple detector-equipped squad cars cooperatively seek to locate the missing automobile. Such cooperative efforts require the officers to communicate with each other, typically over a police radio channel, and require the police officers to neglect other duties which may require their attention.
Thus, a need exists for a system to locate a lost or stolen object wherein the system does not require numerous expensive detectors; wherein the system does not require substantial education of numerous users; wherein the system does not require the attention of an occupant of a detector-equipped vehicle; wherein the system does not require direct communication between occupants of separate detector-equipped vehicles; and wherein the system can expediently locate the lost or stolen item.